


No Surprise

by DrCHolmesLecter



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - World War II, Multi, No Captain America, Not Beta Read, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Steve doesn't receive the super soldier serum
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-05-05
Packaged: 2018-01-21 10:06:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1546850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrCHolmesLecter/pseuds/DrCHolmesLecter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We were young, we were wild. We were halfway free. We were kids on the run on a dead-end street”</p><p>Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes always came as a pair. They we’re like merchandise that you couldn’t sell or buy separately, everyone knew that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pair

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LeftShark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeftShark/gifts).



**_“We were young, we were wild. We were halfway free. We were kids on the run on a dead-end street”_ **

 

 

Sunlight seeped between each dirty alleyway they ran through, their chest heaving up and down. Steve’s breathing was faster than his friend but the boy pushed himself to keep up with Bucky. He knew his best friend had slowed down just for him but hey, Buck wasn’t about to leave him behind. It has always been the two of them together ever since the boy ‘saved’ him from the neighbourhood bullies, not that he needed saving.

Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes _always_ came as a pair. They we’re like merchandise that you couldn't sell or buy separately, everyone knew that. You don’t invite James to a party and not invite the other; it was the rule, especially if you want someone like Barnes to notice you. Steve didn’t care. He enjoyed watching in the sidelines and enjoyed the company of his best friend. It has always been the two of them together and everyone knew that. Maybe that’s how the rumours began. No surprises there.

 

 

Bucky yawned beside him, his body sliding down on the seat. Steve took a short side glance at his friend and refocused on the movie that was playing. The sickly boy eyed the flying house and the dames squirming closer to their lovers, his blue eyes slyly took another glance at his sleeping friend. He assessed the way the screen lit up Bucky’s face, made him more handsome with every flicker. Steve’s hand unconsciously reached out to caress the side of Buck’s face, his fingers ghostly hovering over that rough skin. He knew because he had seen the stubble that had grown so yes, of course it’ll be rough, noticed the way it made pretty gals swoon with lust in their eyes. Bucky is handsome, compared to him. He didn’t care. He did care where his best friend set his eyes on, cared who those lips smiled for and cared whose hands held his. It has always been the two of them. Steve flinched from Bucky’s sudden movement, his heart raced as he noticed his fingers hovering over his friend’s lips. Barnes’ eyes began to flutter open but Steve was quick to think so he flicked his fingers at the tip of Bucky’s nose, causing the man to yelp in time with Dorothy finally walking the yellow brick road. A few head turned to their direction, laughing at Bucky, even Steve joined them. The mischievous glint was registered in Rogers’ mind; he knew he’d pay for what he did, after all Bucky’s crush was just sitting a few rows in front of them.

“Are you following me, _Barnes_?”

Steve looked up at Bucky, eyeing the way the corner of his friend’s lips curling into a grin girls loved. Bucky took a gulp and changed his persona, others wouldn’t have noticed but he did, of course he did. Steve noticed every little thing about Bucky, right from the start.

“Course not, ma’am. I was just accompanying my friend.” His friend confidently replied. Bucky tucked both his hands into his trouser pockets, something he did when he was nervous but trying to keep up a strong front. Nobody ever had the decency to even attempt to understand Bucky but his friend said that’s what he was there for ‘cause Buck was never going to show dames the side of him that Steve knows so well. It has always been the two of them together.

Cheryl eyed him up and down; Steve almost heard her snorting at his sight. He knew he wasn’t a looker but it’ll be nice if they hid their disdain. A sly smile played upon her red lips as she pried Barnes’ off Steve’s side. The gal looked at him at the same time Bucky had told him to head home. He scowled at his words but kept his eyes on the dame, the look she was giving him...oh she knew. She knew, alright. Steve walked away from the pair and made his way through Brooklyn Bridge. If the dames possessively parading Bucky around knew how could his best friend not? Steve blamed it on woman’s intuition, his mother always said that. But it was okay, it has always been the two of them together.

 

 

“Was the movie not what you expected?”  

His Ma wiped her hands on her plain dress. He should really get her something. Her birthday is coming up, that would be a good enough excuse to spend his money without her sighing and disagreeing.

Steve hooked his bony arm around her frail one, “It was better, Buck fell asleep not even halfway through the film!”

Sarah laughed wholeheartedly, commenting on has Bucky had grown up so much and how he’ll have his chance. Steve doubted it but he kept quiet and just enjoyed sharing his mother’s dreams. She waited for Buck to arrive any moment, declaring he was hungry so when he didn’t his Ma worriedly turned to him.

“He’s out with a dame.” He bluntly replied.

Steve didn’t want to think about it so he busied himself with setting the food on the table and getting the cutleries in their places. He could feel his mother’s gaze but he focused on the food that hardly passed as vegetables. Who was he to complain? At least they had food to eat and a roof above their heads.

“You should just tell him.”

Steve shook his head in disagreement.

“Bucky will understand.”

He tightened his hold on the fork, his knuckles visibly showing than normal. “Don’t talk like that, Ma. You know what happens to fairies here, it’d be a miracle if I just get beaten up for it.”

Sarah held onto her son’s hand, her pale hands soothing it with every stroke, “then change it my love.”

Steve snorted, “Using what? Ain’t exactly made out of muscles-”

“Oh, Steve, what did I always tell you? A strong heart will take you further than physical strength. A strong-”

“-heart means you’ll never quit.” He looked up at his mother, noted the wrinkles on her face, the way the skin under her eyes had darken and sunk over the years. Even the way strands of hair messily fell on her face. He no longer remembered the way she looked when she was all dolled up whenever she would go out with his father.

“That’s my boy.” She proudly whispered.

 

 

Bucky did come that evening, earlier than he had expected. He had a glum expression when Steve opened the door for him. Either the girl did something or he didn’t get what he wanted. He secretly hoped it was the first one because he really didn’t want to hear what Bucky wanted to do to the girl. He could only take so much.

Steve quietly drew his friend eating dinner since Bucky was so keen on keeping quiet about his evening. He had just finished shading the bottom of Bucky’s lips when he heard an indescribable noise coming out of his friend. He felt his heart beating faster. Did he notice the way he was looking at him, the lust in his eyes? He could play it off by saying he’s a perfectionist, Bucky knew he was...  

“Steve...”

He swallowed, words caught in his throat. “Yeah?” he chokingly asked.

“Cheryl and I didn’t work out.”

Steve let out a strained chuckle, he really didn’t want to know why but he hated seeing Bucky like this. He hated the way those eyes that was usually bright with mischief is now glassy with tears that never really falls. Rogers closed his sketchbook and looked up at his friend with furrowed eyebrows. He wanted to remove those harsh lines, wanted to soothe him with gentle kisses but Steve planted himself on the chair. He was outright terrified of what Bucky would think of him, he was his only friend. Who else was he suppose to have if he didn’t have Bucky? It was always the two of them since he could remember.

“She called you a queer, said it was obvious and that if I didn’t want any trouble, I should stay away-”

He couldn’t help it, everything he’s bottled up inside of him. The woman poured it out to his best friend like it was the damn weather. Bucky’s previous gals at least had the decency to let him be and kept it to themselves as long as he didn’t try anything.

“Steve...why are you cry-”

He abruptly stood up, “please leave.” He knew his voice was shaking; damn his whole body was shaking! He couldn’t even face the guy. She had no right; this isn’t how Buck was supposed to find out. ‘Pull yourself together!’ He screamed in his mind. ‘You’re older than him for god sake!’ Sometimes he didn’t feel like that at all, Bucky was always the one taking care of him, acting like a big brother. He liked it.

Bucky whirled his body around, slightly crouching down to look at Steve’s face. The man stubbornly turned his head away. “Steve, it’s fine, it doesn’t matter alright?” Just for a moment a gleam of hope appeared on the smaller boy’s face. “I know you ain’t queer so it don’t matter what others say, you hear me?”

Of course that’s what Buck would say. ‘It’ll be fine...’ He chanted in his mind as he grabbed Bucky’s shirt and pushed himself up to kiss his best friend. Steve felt the tension in Bucky’s body as he pressed himself closer to him and even with his eyes closed he knows that his best friend’s mind is still trying to understand what was happening. ‘It’ll be fine.’ He continued to chant as he slowly pulled back but Barnes’ would have none of it. Strong arms wrapped around his thinner frame and pulled him up to rekindle their lips. He felt Bucky’s teeth gently nipping his bottom lip, prying his mouth open. His friend hungrily shoved his tongue into his mouth, licking every corner as their tongue fought for dominance. Steve complied and melted against Bucky, he would’ve been on the floor, unable to stand if his friend wasn’t tightly holding onto him. The two pulled back, gasping for air with a childish grin on their faces.

It’ll be fine ‘cause it was always the two of them together.

 

 

Sarah could no longer hold the squeal she was trying to bury, the two boys stared at her with their eyes wide open before the three of them bursts into laughter.

 

 

Steve always loved the way his mother laughed, it was contagious. Bucky says he has the same laugh and he was glad that he did cause that’s all he wants Bucky to catch from him and not the list of health problems he’s been fighting since he was a kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something I decided to write...thoughts? ;D
> 
> Thing at the beginning is lyrics from Daughtry - 18 Years


	2. Bucket list

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We are young so let’s set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun!”
> 
> Second time was when Bucky and him had started writing a list of the things they wished to accomplish, ‘To grow up as heroes’ was on the top of their list.

_“We are young so let’s set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun!”_

 

 

The first time Steve realised his attraction towards Bucky was when the boy punched the air out of a kid who nearly broke his nose. He stubbornly denied it, he was just a kid. Second time was when Bucky and him had started writing a list of the things they wished to accomplish, ‘To grow up as heroes’ was on the top of their list. The third time was when he began to notice every quirky little thing about his friend, the time when he began to differentiate the smiles of Bucky Barnes. Steve had confessed to his mother that night, afraid of what he was feeling. The boy had seen what happened to Carl down the street, saw him bleeding to death and when he had tried to help a woman pulled him back, saying ‘Steve, do not go near that man, you hear me? You’ll catch his disease.’ Of course the boy had wondered about the so called ‘disease’, he found out a few days after as he was walking home with his mother. Steve had tugged his mother’s dress and led her to a bleeding man. They took him home and dressed his wounds.

Rogers wanted to grow up like his mother, saving lives.

The boy had asked the bandaged man why he was injured, told him something similar happened to a man called Carl. His mother had told him off for prying when she noticed the way the man tensed up. Steve had never remembered having a father figure so he had climbed into the bed, next to the bandaged man. The man made space for him, made sure he was comfortable. He was still curious to why he was injured so he had asked him.

Steve looked up at those hazel eyes and stared at the bruise just under the man’s right cheek. He warmly smiled down at Steve, caressing the child’s hair. “It’s because I’m a queer.” He whispered.

“What’s that? Is it a type of job? Are you a tax collector? Me and my best friend Bucky dislikes them.”

The man had chuckled at his innocence. “No, it means I like men, ain’t allowed. God says it’s wrong, ‘tis what the Church says.”

“I like Bucky and he’s a boy.”

“ Not in that-”

Steve sat up and stared at him, “No, I like him the way you like men. Told my Ma, she said it was great cause Bucky is a good boy and he’ll definitely take care of me.” Steve settled back down and snuggled closer to the raggedy man, “you know, it don’t matter. Ma says you can’t help who you fall for, said it didn’t matter whether I fell in love with a boy ‘cause love is love.” Steve looked back up at his hazel eyes, noticed the way tears fell from them. “It’ll get better, I promise.”

The man took comfort at the child’s words; they both seriously hoped that it would be better. “You’re lucky to have a mother like her.” Steve merely replied with a hum as he drifted off to sleep.

At the end of that week, Steve lost his home after finding out they were housing a queer. The man had insisted that he will leave but his mother would’ve none of it so they packed their belongings and left with no destination in mind. The man took them to a queer bar, he told those people what had happened and they became family. A friend of his mother had found out and insisted that they stay with her, saying it wasn’t good for Steve to hang out at such a place. He thought she was worried because people drank and smoked in there but he soon found out she was talking about the ‘disease’ he might catch. His mother lost one of her close friends, news travelled and soon she lost most of ‘em but his Ma never once regretted what she had done. By the end of April, they moved out of the room above the bar. She had saved up money and the queer people they hated so much had saved up their own little money and gave it to them, said ‘think of Steve’ when his mother had turned it down. Sarah couldn’t say no to that.

Steve and Sarah Rogers lived off queer people’s money when his mother’s closest friends abandoned her.

 

 

 

When Steve said that he was happy the way he was, that wasn’t completely true. Who’d want to see the man they loved with another person? No one.

Bucky had set him up on another double date, like always the girl showed her utmost disappointment in him. It would’ve been fine, he would’ve just shrugged and found a quieter place but this time it was different. Bucky and him...they were together, a pair, one entity. He goes, the other follows. He thought he would be able to handle it but he really couldn’t. Steve downed another glass of beer as he watched the way the woman snaked her arms around Bucky, pulling him down to whisper into his ear, Bucky’s hands rested on the curve of her back. For once, he wished he was born as a gal or even prettier so he could dress up and get his well deserved dance with the man he loves.

They were fruitless dreams.

The time the next music started, Steve Rogers had had enough. He slammed the bill on the counter and made his way out. Strong hands whirled him around, making him stumble in the process. Bucky stared at him with searching eyes.

“Steve why did you-”

The man pressed his best friend against the dirty brick wall right next to the trash cans. He had expected himself to attack Bucky with fierce kisses but his lips merely laid on top Bucky’s. They slowly moved to the sides, the hand that rested on that dame's back now rested on his, gripping his oversized jacket as Steve pushed himself further against his best friend. James gasped as Steve slid his hands under Bucky’s shirt, fingers brushing against his nipples. Bucky was coming undone with his every touch, felt his best friend rubbing against him as he deepened the kiss. A smirk appeared on his face as he pulled back to look at Bucky’s face, eyes that was heated with lust. Without second thoughts, the smaller man bent down on his knees and hungrily unzipped Barnes’ pants. He licked the fabric that separated his tongue from Bucky’s cock before pulling it down.

He was drunk, they both knew that but it wasn’t like they were going to regret doing it...maybe just a little bit, the place did stink.

“Steve...” Bucky breathe as he tried to stop himself from fucking Steve’s mouth. Patience was never his friend’s thing so he couldn’t help but smile as Bucky tightly grabbed his hair, hips thrusting as he pumped his own cock. It wasn’t long till Bucky came in his mouth, he followed soon after. Bucky pulled him up and kissed him like they didn’t have all the time in the world.

“You punk.” Bucky whispered.

“Jerk.”

 

 

 

On the 25th of May, Steve stood in front of a new gravestone with Bucky and his family by his side. His mother’s ‘friends’ came for show, giving him their condolences. The people that helped them during the hard times also came to mourn. He stared at his father’s gravestone then back to his mother’s.

“Together...at last.” He quietly read out from their tombstones.

Bucky walked him home. He was frustrated, angry, hell, he couldn’t even cry. He wouldn’t cry, he was too angry, felt betrayed. His heart felt as if it was slowly being torn apart. His mother was his moral support, the woman who reassured him that everything will turn out for the better. How was he supposed to believe that when she was- Steve grunted in frustration as he continued to search for his key, Bucky held out the spare and placed it in his clammy palms.

“You know you don’t have to do this alone.”

 Oh, he knew. He knew but couldn’t. Steve had to grow up, had to stop relying on Bucky Barnes. Be independent. “I know.” He quietly replied, hands tightly squeezing the key in his hand.

Bucky squeezed his shoulder. “I’m with you till the end of the line, pal.”

Steve returned the smile, how could he not? Whenever he felt down it was always Bucky’s presence that made everything better...but not right now. He needed time to be alone and he believed Bucky thought the same because he left soon after.

The apartment that seemed so small was now overwhelmingly large. He glanced at the things his mother had made by hand to make the place more homely and within minutes or has it been hours? He watched his hands bleed as he fell on all fours, broken picture frames and flower vases lay on the floor along with the upturned furniture.

He realised just how short his life could be. It’d be a miracle if he lived pass thirty.

Steve frantically looked for the list they had made as children. ‘Go somewhere beautiful’ was under the first thing they wrote. He had immediately called Bucky after he had reserved a twin room for them.

 

 

 

It’s how they found themselves on the train to New York’s Finger Lakes the very next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at smut okay.... TT x TT
> 
> Thing at the beginning is some of the lyrics from 'We are young' by Fun


End file.
